Wire Rack Assembly

ABSTRACT

A wire rack assembly includes: a casing defining an accommodating space therein and provided with a plurality of first conductive members that are disposed in the accommodating space; a first wire connected to the first conductive members and provided with a plug that is disposed outwardly of the accommodating space; a reel mounted rotatably on the casing, defining a winding space, and provided with a plurality of second conductive members that are respectively in sliding contact with the first conductive members; and a second wire wound on the reel, connected to the second conductive members, and provided with a receptacle that is disposed outwardly of the winding space and the accommodating space.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a wire rack assembly, more particularly to awire rack assembly including a first wire fixed to a casing and providedwith a plug, and a second wire wound on a reel and provided with areceptacle.

2. Description of the Related Art

As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional wire rack assembly 1 includes acasing 10, a rotatable reel 11 mounted rotatably on the casing 10, apower cord 12 wound on the reel 11 and operable to be unwound from thereel 11, and receptacles 13 mounted securely on the casing 10 andconnected electrically to the power cord 12 for plugging of externalelectric wires. The power cord 12 includes a plug 121 for plugging intoa power supply.

In use, the plug 121 is plugged into a power supply and the power cord12 is unwound from the reel 11 so as to permit transport of thereceptacles 13 together with the casing 10 and the reel 11 to a desiredsite for subsequent use. However, since the casing 10 together with thereel 11 and the receptacles 13 has a relatively large volume and weight,transport of the same is relatively inconvenient, and difficulty inplacement of the receptacles 13 due to an unsuitable site, where thereceptacles 13 are to be placed, may be encountered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a wire rackassembly that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks associated withthe,prior art.

Accordingly, a wire rack assembly of the present invention includes: acasing defining an accommodating space therein and provided with aplurality of first conductive members that are disposed in theaccommodating space;a first wire connected to the first conductivemembers and provided with a plug that is disposed outwardly of theaccommodating, space; a reel mounted rotatably on the casing, defining awinding space, and provided with a plurality of second conductivemembers that are respectively in sliding contact with the firstconductive members; and a second wire wound on the reel so as to bereceived in the winding space, connected to the second conductivemembers, and provided with a receptacle that is disposed outwardly ofthe winding space and the accommodating space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be comeapparent in the following detailed description of the preferredembodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional wire rack assembly;

FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of the preferred embodiment of awire rack assembly according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of a positioning seatand a first wire of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a partly sectional view illustrating how the first wire is insliding contact with conductive members of the preferred embodiment; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating how a second wireis connected to the conductive members of the preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the preferred embodiment of a wire rackassembly 2 according to the present invention is shown to include: acasing 21 defining an accommodating space 20 therein and provided with aplurality of first conductive members 25 that are disposed in theaccommodating space 20; a first wire 231 connected to the firstconductive members 25 and provided with a plug 239 that is disposedoutwardly of the accommodating space 20; a reel 22 mounted rotatably onthe casing 21, defining a winding space 223, and provided with aplurality of second conductive members 23 that are respectively insliding contact with the first conductive members 25; and a second wire24 wound on the reel 22 so as to be received in the winding space 223,connected to the second conductive members 23, and provided with areceptacle 242 that is disposed outwardly of the winding space 223 andthe accommodating space 20. The winding mechanism of the reel 22 isconducted through a disc-shaped torsion spring (not shown), which iswell known in the art, and hence is not further detailed herein.

The receptacle 242 is formed with a plurality of plug-inserting units2421, each of which is formed with at least a pair of slots 2422 adaptedfor extension of a pair of blades of an external plug (not shown)thereinto.

The reel 22 has first and second wheels 222, 221 and a hollow hub 224that interconnects and that cooperates with the first and second wheels222,221 to define the winding space 223 there among. The first wheel 222has a central wall 226 with inner and outer surfaces 2261, 2262 (seeFIGS. 3 and 6). Each of the second conductive members 23 includes anannular plate 232 that is attached to the outer surface 2262 of thecentral wall 226 of the first wheel 222, and a connecting piece 234extending from the annular plate 232 through the central wall 26 andinto the hub 224. The annular plates 232 of the second conductivemembers 23 are disposed concentrically.

Referring to FIG. 6, the second wire 24 extends into the hub 224 toconnect with the connecting pieces 234 of the second conductive members23. In this embodiment, the second wire 24 has three coupling ends 241,each of which is connected to a respective one of the connecting pieces234.

The reel 22 is further provided with three annular confining members 233(see FIG. 3) that protrude from and that are secured to the outersurface 2262 of the central wall 226 of the first wheel 222 and that areconcentrically disposed to define a plurality of concentrically disposedconfining grooves 2330 (see FIG. 5). Each of the annular plates 232 ofthe second conductive members 23 is disposed in a respective one of theconfining grooves 2330.

Referring to FIG. 4, in combination with FIGS. 3 and 5, the casing 21 isfurther provided with a positioning seat 235 secured thereto, disposedin the accommodating space 20, abutting against the annular confiningmembers 233, and formed with a plurality of positioning holes 236 thatare axially and respectively aligned with the confining grooves 2330.Each of the first conductive members 25 includes a spring-biasedterminal pins 237 that is urged by a spring 238, that is connected tothe first wire 231, and that extends through a respective one of thepositioning holes 236 to contact slidingly a respective one of theannular plates 232 of the second conductive members 23.

In use, the wire rack assembly 2 is secured removably to a wall providedwith a power supply (not shown), into which the plug 239 can be plugged.The second wire 24 is then unwound from the reel 22, and the receptacle242 is carried to the desired site where an external plug (not shown)can be plugged thereinto. As compared to the aforesaid conventional wirerack assembly, the operation of the wire rack assembly 2 of thisinvention is more convenient and the occurrence of a placement problemdue to an unsuitable site can be avoided.

While the present invention has been described in connection with whatis considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isunderstood that this invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included withinthe spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompassall such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

1. A wire rack assembly comprising: a casing defining an accommodatingspace therein and provided with a plurality of first conductive membersthat are disposed in said accommodating space; a first wire connected tosaid first conductive members and provided with a plug that is disposedoutwardly of said accommodating space; a reel mounted rotatably on saidcasing, defining a winding space, and provided with a plurality ofsecond conductive members that are respectively in sliding contact withsaid first conductive members; and a second wire wound on said reel soas to be received in said winding space, connected to said secondconductive members, and provided with a receptacle that is disposedoutwardly of said winding space and said accommodating space.
 2. Thewire rack assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receptacle isformed with a plurality of plug-inserting units, each of which is formedwith at least a pair of slots adapted for extension of a pair of bladesof an external plug thereinto.
 3. The wire rack assembly as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said reel has first and second wheels and a hollow hubthat interconnects and that cooperates with said first and second wheelsto define said winding space there among, said first wheel having acentral wall with inner and outer surfaces, each of said secondconductive members including an annular plate that is attached to saidouter surface of said central wall of said first wheel, and a connectingpiece extending from said annular plate through said central wall andinto said hub,said annular plates of said second conductive membersbeing disposed concentrically.
 4. The wire rack assembly as claimed inclaim 3, wherein said second wire extends into said hub to connect withsaid connecting pieces of said second conductive members.
 5. The wirerack assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said reel is furtherprovided with a plurality of annular confining members that protrudefrom and that are secured to said outer surface of said central wall ofsaid first wheel and that are concentrically disposed to define aplurality of concentrically disposed confining grooves, each of saidannular plates of said second conductive members being disposed in arespective one of said confining grooves.
 6. The wire rack assembly asclaimed in claim 5, wherein said casing is further provided with apositioning seat secured thereto, disposed in said accommodating space,abutting against said annular confining members, and formed with aplurality of positioning holes that are axially and respectively alignedwith said confining grooves, each of said first conductive membersincluding a spring-biased terminal pin that is connected to said firstwire and that extends through a respective one of said positioning holesto contact slidingly a respective one of said annular plates of saidsecond conductive members.